Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1887-08-20
Interesting Statistics.

~ aohihS ooh dicpaVCh W Tue
Philadelphia Ledger says:
Few persons perhaps who read
the frequently published reports of
the fiscal operations of the govern
ment give any consideration to the
vastness and significance of the OPP
erations. We read OF the hundreds
of millions of gold and silver in the
treasury. but how few persons have
any intelligent idea of what is en-
braced in the nine figures required
to describe the liabilities and assets
of the government. 1t is only when
the auriferous contents OF the treas
ury vaults are weighed and measur-
ed and placed by the side of articles
and commodities that are handled
by the masses that an intelligent
comprehension can be obtained by
the people of the financial strength
of the treasury-the great extent of
the government fiscal operations.
find by reference to the latest
published statement Of treasury as
sets and liabilities that among the as
sets was 1921, 296,4l7 in gold, and
nearly 1851 900, 900 in silver, includ-
ing 100000 Of trade dollars and
fractional coins. Taking up these
1921, 100000 of gold and placing
them on the scales, | find that the
gold held by the treasury weighs
5l9 tons, and, if packed into ordin-
airy carts, one ton to each cart, it
would make procession two miles
long, allowing 90 feet Of space for
movement of each horse and cart.
The weighing Of the silver produces
much more interesting results. Run
ming this over the scales I find it's
weight to be 1896 tons. Measuring
it in carts, as in the case of the gold,
the silver now held by the treasury
would require the services Of 1896
horses and carts to transport it, and
would make procession over twen-
ty-one miles in length.
Extending these calculations and
comparisons to the interest bearing
debs equally interesting results are
obtained. The public debt reached
the highest point in August. 1865,
just twenty-five years ago, when it
was S2,281 ,53O,295. The general
reader will better appreciate the
vastness of the sum when informed
that it represents 1916 TONS of sill
yer, which would make procession
of carts that would extend from
Richmond, Va, to point twelve
miles north of Philadelphia, the dis
lance it would thus cover being 206
miles. The bearing debt
is now, not including the Pacific
railroad bonds, 81 ,00l, 1885, $50, show
ing that the sum paid has been ST.
379,553,445, or more than one-half
of the total amount, and represent
ing 40 ,637 tons Of silver dollars,
which would extend 1874 miles if
packed in carts containing one ton
each.
Reducing these figures to basis
where they may be intelligently COM
pretended and that the rapidity
with which the government has re-
duced its bonded debt may be fully
realized by the general readers,I find
that the reduction has been at the
average rate of s62,706,975 each
year, 1925, 5Sl each month, $l7S,-
| 185 each day, 81 1858 each hour, and
$l20.47 for every minute of the en-
tire % years. Pursuing the calcu-
lation to the smallest divisable space
of time, the bonded debt of the Uni
ted States has been decreased at the
rate of two dollars and seven mills
for every second, or for every swing
of the pendulum, for the entire per-
iod from Aug. 81, 1865, to July 81,
1887. This is an exhibition of recu-
peration and material progress on
the part Of the country and of ster-
ling honesty and integrity on the
! part of the government and people
that is without parallel in the world
history.